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Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 13:53:03 -0500 (CDT)
From: "Jonathan R. Wagner" <znc14@TTACS.TTU.EDU>
To: Kevin de Queiroz <Dequeiroz.Kevin@NMNH.SI.EDU>
Cc: PhyloCode@ouvaxa.cats.ohiou.edu
Subject: MANNERS [was Re: Stem-based taxon definitions]
At 05:09 PM 7/31/00 -0400, you wrote:
>At the risk of offending the initiator of this discussion, I don't see the
>point of continuing the discussion further. It's going nowhere.
Actually, after some consideration, I am a little offended. Phrasing
your withdrawal from the discussion in a manner which indicates exasperation
and futility is not fair to me. In a conversation between an unquestioned
expert in the field and an unknown, such treatment may indicate to those not
following the discussion closely that the unknown worker's ideas are not
worthy of serious consideration, or that he is intellectually inadequate.
This is certainly the impression I recieved from your message. I feel that
such an implication is not warranted in my case, although I would be willing
to entertain an argument to the contrary.
I understand that you think I am incorrect, but I feel that comments
such as the one you make above should be justified in a considerate manner.
You have stated that my point is incorrect, due to incorrect phrasing. I
have shown that, when phrased the way you advocate, my point still stands.
Beyond that, I have suggested a different perspective on the issue. Whether
or not you care for this different perspective is not important; that
perspective can handily await airing at a later time. However, it is simply
not good manners to back out of a discussion without explanation when points
are still outstanding.
It is certainly not your responsibility to gently nurse every Tom,
Dick and Harry through the finer points of your reasoning. However, I do
feel it is minimally encumbent upon you, as a participant in this
discussion, to furnish a rebuttal to unanswered issues, or to admit that you
are simply not interested in continuing the discussion without passing
judgement on the discussion itself (or, by implication, the other
discussant). Certainly, as you are a person of reputation in the field, I
would prefer to suffer dismissal at your hand with an explanation.
Apart from that, I am sorry you feel I have wasted your time.
Sincerely,
Jonathan R. Wagner
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jonathan R. Wagner, Dept. of Geosciences, TTU, Lubbock, TX 79409-1053
"Why do I sense we've picked up another pathetic lifeform?" - Obi-Wan Kenobi